One woman shook violently and fell into another’s arms, and a third became so distraught she was asked to leave the courtroom as Jaworski Sneed was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a grocery store owner with a bullet to the back.

On the other side of the courtroom, the family of Daryl Logan, the 47-year-old grocer who was slain outside his store on Christmas Eve 2010 as he tried to break up a fight, remained frozen in silence.

"I think the crime was absolutely horrendous, to a victim who was a victim in every sense of the word," Assistant Prosecutor Harry Moskowitz told the court today.

The sentence surprised legal experts, who said juveniles convicted in homicides usually receive sentences of 30 years. Sneed, who was 17 at the time of the slaying, had been arrested several times as a juvenile but never convicted, according to his attorney, Sterling Kinsale.

"My guess is it seems so absolutely cold and callous and calculating that the judge must have taken this into account, but this is not the usual for a first offender," said Bruce Stout, a criminology professor at The College of New Jersey and former director of the state’s Juvenile Justice Commission. "Basically it’s a death sentence."

Prosecutors said the brutal nature of Logan’s death warranted the harsh penalty.

Sneed, who was was convicted of Logan’s murder and two weapons offenses last month, will be 83 before he is eligible for parole.

"The sentence is unusual, but we believe it is appropriate given the nature and circumstances of the crime," said Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. "This defendant shot an innocent man in the back, who was simply trying to break up a fight."

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The day of the slaying, Sneed had been drinking with friends near Logan’s when a fight broke out, according to Moskowitz, who said the grocer was punched in the face and knocked down during the melee.

For reasons that remained unclear throughout the trial, Sneed drew a firearm and shot Logan in the back before fleeing, leaving him to die in the street.

Stacy LaBerth, one of Logan’s two daughters, witnessed the entire ordeal from a third-floor apartment and was screaming, "Dad, get back in the store," when the fatal shot was fired, court records show.

Sneed blew kisses to his relatives as he entered the courtroom — which he had done several times during the trial — before telling Ryan that he was innocent of the killing.

"I’m sorry for their loss, but I’m innocent," said Sneed, his head half-turned toward the gallery. "This don’t stop right here. I’m gonna fight this."

When Ryan uttered the word "life," several pained howls erupted from Sneed’s relatives, many of whom dropped their heads and sobbed uncontrollably. Sneed turned toward them and urged them not to cry before several of them stormed from the room.

Screams and curses could be heard in the hallway as Ryan finished reading the sentence, with several of Sneed’s family members seemingly quarreling among themselves.

Outside the courthouse, relatives of Sneed and Logan declined to comment.

"It’s a sad day," Assistant Prosecutor Kim Acocella said. "An innocent man was the victim of a crime on Christmas Eve, while trying to live up to the spirit of Christmas."